DICKSON, John Frederick. Harmondsworth, Middlesex 17.9.1835 — London 21.12.1891. Sir. British Civil Servant and Pāli Scholar in Sri Lanka. Son of Robert Dickson (1805–1875), a physician, and Mary Ann Coope. Educated in Westminster and studied from 1855 at Christ Church, Oxford. Graduated B.A. in 1859 and joined colonial service. Served…
DESIDERI, Ippolito. Pistoia, Tuscany 21.12.1684 — Rome 14.8.1733. S.J. Italian Missionary and a Pioneer of Tibetology, in Tibet in 1715-21, in India 1714-15, 1721-27, last years in Rome. Son of Iacopo D. and Maria Maddalena Cappellini, a patrician family, educated at Jesuit school in Pistoia. Joined Jesuits in 1700 and…
DE’ NOBILI DE MONTEPULCIANO, Roberto (Robertus de Nobilibus, Tattuvapodagar [‑pōtakar]). Montepulciano near Siena 1577 — Mailapur (Chennai) 16.1.1656. S.J. Italian Missionary in South India. Born of a family of high nobility (related to the Duke of Modena), joined the S.J. in 1597. Studies of theology in Naples and Rome. In…
DEMING, Wilbur Stone. Boston, Mass. 13.3. or 24.10.1889 — Bridgeport, Conn. 31.10.1971. Rev. U.S. Missionary in India. Son of Rev. Miner Rudd Deming and Mary Frances Losey. After Revere and Sharon High Schools (graduated 1906) studies at Boston and Brown Universities (graduated 1912). Ph.D. From 1912 member of American Maratha…
DE LORENZO, Giuseppe Giovanni Angelo. Lagonegro, Potenza 24.4.1871 — Naples 27.6.1957. Italian Scientist and Bauddha. Professor of Geology in Naples. Born in Southern Italy, son of Lorenzo De Lorenzo and Carolina Rinaldi. After studies at Naples became in 1897 PD and 1905 Professor of Geology and Physical Geography there. Retired…
DELEU, Jozef Albert Cornelius. Alveringem. West Flanders 17.11.1925 — Ghent 15.3.1994. Belgian Indologist. From 1944 studies at Ghent (B.A. 1948 in Germanic philology, Ph.D. 1957 under Scharpé) and in 1959 Hamburg (Schubring and Alsdorf). In 1949-58 teacher (leraar Germaanse talen) at Atheneum Kapellen, 1958-64 at Atheneum Kortrijk. From 1964 at…
DEKKER, Gerbrand Jan. Westzaan, North Holland 7.10.1882 — 1964. Dutch Orientalist and Scholar of Religion in Switzerland. Son of Klaas Dekker and Clazina Fortanier. Ph.D. Private scholar living in Meilen near Zürich. Married with Ellen. Publications: Die Rückwendung zum Mythos: Schellings letzte Wandlung. 220 p. Munich 1930. – “Der Kundalinī-Yoga.…
DE GUBERNATIS, Angelo. Turin 7.4.1840 — Rome 26.12.1913. Count. Italian Indologist. Professor in Florence and Rome. Born in a noble family, son of Giambattista De Gubernatis, a revenue official, and Maria Cleofe Turchetti; his brother was the diplomat and geographer Enrico De Gubernatis (1836–1914), his sister the educator Teresia De…
DAVID-NÉEL, Alexandra (née Louise Eugènie Alexandrine Marie David). St.Mandé (Seine) 24.10.1868 — Digne (Basses-Alpes) 8.9.1969. French Bauddha and Traveller. The only child of Louis Pierre David, a huguenot freemason and ardent republican, also a journalist and teacher , and Alexandrine Borleman, a Catholic Belgian. From 1873 grew up in Belgium.…
DAUMAL, René. Boulzicourt (Ardennes) 16.3.1908 — Paris 21.5.1944. French Poet interested in India. Son of anticlerical socialist teacher Lon Daumal. Educated at Lycée de Reims and Lycée Henri-IV, studies at Sorbonne. Born in rural milieu he became a socialist and active anticlerical, but at the same time he was also…